


Teething Pains

by Soldmysoulfortheseships



Series: Short Story Challenge [3]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Children, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-18 13:56:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17582174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soldmysoulfortheseships/pseuds/Soldmysoulfortheseships
Summary: I am taking on a personal challenge to write 5 short stories from December to February. These short stories are purely for enjoyment so if you like them please leave a comment or a kudos, it would be greatly appreciated!





	Teething Pains

The baby was finally asleep and Rhys breathed a sigh of relief. At five months old Aquila was teething, an ordeal not just to the baby herself but to her parents as well. In the days before Aquila’s first tooth had broken through, Feyre and Rhysand’s house had been filled with screaming from only Aquila and tears from all members of the household. At first, they had no idea what was wrong with Aquila, her diaper was clean and dry, her stomach full and her bed warm and comfy. Rhysand had spent all of the first night up with his baby girl, the two of them only sleeping when exhaustion had caught up with them both, with Aquila passing out on her father's chest and Rhys passing out in the rocking chair in the corner of Aquila’s nursery. Feyre had found the two of them in the morning still sleeping in the rocking chair, it had been a charming image of father and daughter. Rhys' arms curled loosely around his infant daughter who was drooling in her sleep, using her father's chest as a makeshift pillow. The sweet moment had been broken when Aquila had woken up and start wailing again, her cheeks puffy and red more so than they had been the night beforehand. Feyre picked her baby up, holding her close to her chest as she fussed over Aquila. Rhys groaned as he rubbed the sleep out from his eyes, his heart breaking for his little girl.

“We should call on the healers Rhys,” Feyre rubbed soothing circles into Aquila’s back, the motion calming her a little, “ I can’t stand to see her in this much pain, this can’t possibly be normal”

Rhys nodded, in full agreement with Feyre. Aquila could be fussy and loud when she wanted to be like all babies were but she had never acted like this before. The faster they got her to a healer, the better from both child and parents.

"You go get ready, I'll call the healer," Feyre said as she pulled out Aquila's clothes. The baby squirmed weakly in her arms, the pure exhaustion was etched on Aquila’s face as her cries died down into sniffles

Within half an hour the healer had arrived. The healer, Cecily bore a striking resemblance to a tree with short green hair that somehow curled itself into looking like little leaves and dark brown skin the same texture as bark. Rhys led her into Aquila’s bedroom, where Feyre and the baby were sat on Aquila’s play mat. Aquila was gnawing on "Batty", her stuffed bat toy that Auntie Mor had given her a few days after she had been born. Drool coated Batty's head, soaking the toy and Aquila's hands were she held Batty in her iron grip. Cecily chuckled at the sight, a knowing smile on her face as she bent down to pick up the tiny heir. Aquila cooed at Cecily from around Batty’s head, the healer gently pulled the toy out of Aquila's mouth. Feyre's eyes carefully tracked every movement the healer made, it was not that she didn't trust Cecily with Aquila, the healer had been there to help Feyre throughout her pregnancy and during Aquila’s birth. Some ancient fae part of Feyre was reacting to Aquila’s pain, telling her to pull her baby close to her and keep her safe from everyone and everything. Cecily clacked, the sharp noise snapping Feyre out of her daze.

“I believe I know what the problem is" Cecily gently stuck her pinky finger into Aquila's mouth, running her fingertip over Aquila’s gums. Aquila squirmed and let out of a groan of discomfort. "This discomfort is common when babies are teething. The rosy cheeks, the drooling, the chewing on anything that a baby can get their little hands on". Cecily handed Aquila back over to Feyre, helping the High Lady trace the bumps on Aquila's gum, where the tooth was starting to break through the fragile skin.

"What about the screaming?" Rhysand asked the worry hadn’t left his voice. His face was drawn, it was good to know that Aquila wasn’t ill or in a deadly condition yet the fact that she had wailed and screamed most of last night still bothered Rhys.

Cecily hummed, rubbing Aquila's head from where she sat in her mother's arms. "Crying and wailing is normal though it is not common. It just is Aquila's way of informing you that she is in pain and unhappy about it, a little dramatic but that's fact"

“Just like her father then!” Feyre teased as she smiled coyly.

Rhys huffed out in protest, "I am just glad that she is picking up on my habits and not her Uncle Cassian's or worst her Aunt Mor's”

“Well I do guess your flare for the dramatics’ is better than other traits she could pick up” Cecily chuckled at Feyre’s comment, the healer had become a close friend of the Inner Circle in the months that she had looked after Feyre’s pregnancy and Aquila’s birth.

 “As for the pain, the best thing that you two can do for Aquila is to get some teething rings, preferably the ones that you can freeze.” The High Lord and Lady nodded, their attention on their daughter but they still took in every word that Cecily had said.

 

 Five days later and Aquila's tooth still hadn't broken through her gums. Teething rings had helped, screaming and wailing had been decreased to whimpering and whining. However, sleep was still lacking in the High Lord and Lady's household. The Inner Circle had made rounds over at the house, each member taking turns to look after Aquila to give the parents a few moments of rest and time to work on court affairs.

 Today was Mor’s turn to help the High Lord and Lady for a few hours, she had arrived at the house with grand fanfare and had winced upon seeing her cousin. “Cassian was right, your eyebags have eyebags!” Rhys had just gently shushed her and pointed to Feyre over his shoulder, where the High Lady slept on the couch. Her face planted in the pile of letters she had been reading only minutes beforehand.

 "I know but Feyre is even worse than me, I swear this is the first time in two days she has had more than a few minutes of sleep" Rhys whispered, letting his cousin into the house and helping her out of her over the top coat at she insisted on wearing even though winter had barely hit Velaris yet.

 “So the little heir hasn’t gotten better yet?” Mor walked over to the portable crib where Aquila slept curled up in her blanket with her teething ring in her mouth. She picked up Aquila, the baby snuggling into her arms as Mor cooed at her.

 “Cecily said its just Aquila teething,” Rhys explained in gentle whispers, “Feyre and I both trust her, she hasn’t been wrong before and I doubt she would be wrong now”

 "Did Cecily tell you two how long it would take for this tooth to break through?" Mor asked never taking her eyes of her niece. Like most members of the Inner Circle, Mor had fallen in love with Aquila the moment she had seen her little niece.

 "She said that it could take anywhere from four days to eight days for a single tooth to break through, it really depends on the tooth and the baby. I just hope that this tooth comes through soon." Rhys watched Mor cuddle Aquila, a smile on his face that hadn't seemed to have left since his daughter was born. Mor hummed as she gently used her pinky finger to rub Aquila's gum, looking for the lump that was causing her so much pain. Instead of a lump, Mor's finger met a sharp edge. The tooth had broken through, at least a part of it had. She nudged Rhys, showing him the flash of white on Aquila's gums.

 "I can't believe that that damn tooth has finally broken through" Rhys signed as he rubbed his face in pure exhaustion.

 Mor chuckled at his antics, "Oh Cousin, you still have another twenty more to go before this is finished". The facial expression that Rhys pulled had Mor cackling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I am taking on a personal challenge to write 5 short stories from December to February. These short stories are purely for enjoyment so if you like them please leave a comment or a kudos, it would be greatly appreciated!


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